Hebrews 12:25-29
See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused Him Who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns from heaven. (v. 25) I was brainstorming about those who refused Him who warned them on earth. Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) immediately came to mind, plus those in Korah’s rebellion (Numbers 16), Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), and others. I’m guessing that His “warning from heaven” comes from the Holy Spirit speaking into our hearts, guiding our consciences into right vs. wrong decisions. It’s great that we have a warning and not immediate destruction for our sins!
…for our God is a consuming fire. (v. 29) I’m picturing the battle between Elijah and the prophets of Baal: Then Elijah … set about repairing the altar of the Lord which had been torn down. He took twelve stones, one for each of the twelve tribes named for the sons of Jacob, the man to whom the Lord had given the name Israel. With these stones he rebuilt the altar for the worship of the Lord. He dug a trench around it, large enough to hold about four gallons of water. Then he placed the wood on the altar, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the offering and the wood.” They did so, and he said, “Do it again”—and they did. “Do it once more,” he said—and they did. The water ran down around the altar and filled the trench. … The Lord sent fire down, and it burned up the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones, scorched the earth and dried up the water in the trench. When the people saw this, they threw themselves on the ground and exclaimed, “The Lord is God; the Lord alone is God!” (I Kings 18:30-35, 38-39) That must have been quite a “consuming fire”!!
Slava Bohu!